Graham Charlton picks his favourite prose from the world of online retail.

Good copywriting on product pages can be overlooked at times. Think of all the pages you’ve seen where retailers have just plonked the manufacturer’s description on the site, the same one that many other sites use.

This is a missed opportunity to use copy to stand out from competitors, sell the benefits of products, and to answer any questions customers might have. It can help your page rank above competitors, and persuade more people to purchase.

There’s no magic template for product page copy. Good copy works well with the product and brand, and appeals to the target audience. Good copywriters are well worth the investment.

There are some things to think about before writing copy:

Does it match the brand tone of voice? The copy needs to reflect the brand and its target audience. For example, luxury brands might take a certain tone which emphasises the luxury and exclusivity of products, while a brand selling like Firebox selling fun gifts might be more playful in their copy.

Does it highlight key features and benefits? How will your product or service help a customer? This needs to be conveyed clearly.

Does it tell a story about your products? Some products and brands have a history or an interesting story which can enliven product copy.

Does it explain the product? Some products need more explanation than others, but potential customers should be clear about how a product works.

Is it easy to read and scan? Formatting and presentation of copy matters a lot. People won’t always read every word, so it’s important they can pick out the key details.

Does it help with SEO goals? Unique product copy is an opportunity to rank for key product-related terms. Use keyword research to inform copy – as well as helping with SEO it provides an insight into how people describe your products.

The sites selected here all have some great, unique copy which fits the brand and products.

Firebox

Firebox is a great example of brand tone of voice in product copy. It’s a fun site with some pretty silly products, and the copy reflects this.

It also manages to sell the benefits of the products, and picks out key features clearly in bullet points.

Ugmonk

Ugmonk sells its own designs, some of which are relatively expensive, so the copy has a job to do in conveying the uniqueness of the products, as well as the quality and durability.

The provenance of the product is key here, and the copy describes the design process, emphasising the work that has gone into the product and the quality of materials used.

Loaf

Loaf doesn’t go too heavy on the text, but uses short sentences along with images to get its points across.

It’s fun and informal, and doesn’t sell too hard.

The brand tone of voice is there, but it also does the hard work of selling the benefits of the product and conveying key information on delivery and removal.

Modcloth

Restrained product copy from Modcloth here, which sells a vision of the dress at a reunion, rather than lingering on the details.

Modcloth lets its customers do the talking, and essentially gets them to write some of the product copy.

It’s a great plan if the products merit the praise, and great use of social proof to convince new customers to take the plunge.

Mr & Mrs Smith

Hotel site Mr & Mrs Smith works hard not just to sell the room, but the experience.

It’s quite different to some of the cut and paste copy you often see on hotel sites, it sounds like the copywriter has actually spent some time there, and has more authenticity as a result.

Jo Malone

For expensive luxury items, in this case £90 for a small bottle, copy needs to be persuasive and this is what Jo Malone does.

It reads like tasting notes for expensive wine, and sells the experience.

Palace Skateboards

I’m not sure what other sites can learn from Palace, but this is definitely some of the funniest product page copy out there.

Screwfix

There’s no need to sell a lifestyle or brand here, so the product copy is functional, and describes the product’s features clearly.

It’s also about the way copy is laid out so shoppers can scan the page and pick out key product specifications easily.

Patagonia

Patagonia sells serious outdoor gear so it needs to really sell the features and uses of its products.

The copy gets technical, talking about the materials and their durability, as well as possible uses like carrying fly boxes or cameras.

Patagonia also emphasises its environmental credentials, and its support of fair trade, so it talks about its suppliers in detail. The overall effect from the copy is to portray the brand and ethical and knowledgeable.

The overall effect from the copy is to portray the brand as ethical and knowledgeable.

Fab.com

Nice fun copy from on this Fab product page, and a lot of good practice here.

Alongside the description, key measurements and shipping information is laid out clearly. This makes it an easy product page for shoppers to view and digest.

Hiut Denim

As befits a page selling a pair of jeans for £230, Hiut Denim’s copy works hard to emphasise the history and craftsmanship behind the product.

There’s plenty of talk about the brand’s history and the manufacturing process to convey this.

I also like the copy around finding the perfect fit, it’s well presented and very useful to help customers find the best fit and minimise returns.